December 18, 2016
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re·la·tion·ship

What is it that makes us passionate about something?Let’s think about doctors for a second. We can immediately assume, whether true or false, that people become doctors mainly because they want to help other people. They also might love science and perhaps enjoy a challenging work environment. But what else? As we all have obvious reasons to why we do what we do, it is fascinating to ponder more about the not so obvious reasons as well. The little things that touch each one of us differently.

To me it’s relationships. While quite a broad term, I can wholeheartedly say that everything I do in my photographic work is based on relationships. The relationship between the subjects in the frame as well as my relationship with those subjects. It is one big dance that determines the feel the photograph delivers to you, the viewer. Depending on your own past experience, that photograph could transcend the physical act of image viewing and by that create a new relationship with you.

The reality is that all people are different. Our opinions, thoughts, and views vary depending on our age, cultural background, past experiences, and many more factors. We all have different values, and we all value things differently.

I asked some of the world’s insanely talented wedding photographers and friends what they value most in a relationship. As simple as that. Here are their answers!

Alan Law

“The thing I value most in a relationship is reciprocation. I know this may sound funny, but I think reciprocation should be at the heart of any healthy, loving relationship – it needs to be totally, and unequivocally, two-way. You should love as much as you’re being loved; you should be valued, respected, and cared for just as much as you value, respect and care for them.”

Alan Law Photography

Candice C. Cusic

“Laughter is the most important element necessary in my relationships. I love to smile and laugh, and can’t imagine not having this precious commodity with my partner. I’m not sure I can even be friends with someone who doesn’t like to laugh. It’s the fastest way to my heart.I prefer to photograph clients laughing instead of posing. This is what love feels like. Laughter is a strong bridge that will carry you over any silly mistakes or misunderstanding. If you can laugh together, you can only grow stronger.”

Cusic Photography

Liam Shaw

“Any meaningful relationship in my life has a basis of trust. That applies to family and friends but also in any creative field where you are employed to produce art.I picked this photo as the couple were living in Australia at the time of their wedding and a lot of the guests had come over to the UK just for the big day. There is always a greater level of trust needed from a couple when they choose a photographer that they’ve never met from another country and it is something that I greatly appreciate.

This photograph also reminds me to trust my own instincts whenever I’m shooting. I don’t pose anything on a wedding day and trust myself to capture natural photos even when taking the couple for a portrait seems like the more obvious move. For this photo it was late at night it started to snow – a lot of the guests from Australia had never seen snow before so there was a real buzz of excitement. Sarah (the bride) ran outside and we all followed her. As she put her arms out to feel the snow I crouched down as I noticed the festoon lights behind her and wanted to have a clean shot of her without the distractions of other people or the building in the background. It was snowing fairly heavily so snowflakes had started to settle on the lens which resulted in the light from the festoons being refracted creating a very striking look. Spontaneity mixed with work ethic and experience will create something you can’t plan, something more interesting than the intellectual mind can conceive. If you’re making an image based on what you’ve done before or that you formed long ago in the back of your mind then when you look back at that photograph you’re not experiencing someone’s creativity, you’re experiencing re-creativity. That’s not to say that it can’t look good but my favourite types of photograph are always the ones where you can see that the photographer had no idea exactly what was going to happen just that it was going to be something worth photographing – they made the right decisions in trusting their instincts in the moments before, carefully considered their composition and recognized something interesting unfolding in front of them. Without that trusting relationship between photographer and couple though these kind of shots would simply not be possible.”

York Place Studios

Marius Barbulescu

“Altruism. Loving someone more than yourself is the ultimate conquest of the human spirit. We live in a world where individualism is killing true love and its true meaning.”

Marius Barbulescu Wedding Photography

Ian Weldon

“Freedom, honesty and support”.

Ian Weldon

Daniel Kudish

“What I value most in a relationship is the mutual commitment to spend time with one another. Whether it’s a wedding client wanting to trek on a deserted beach (and us wanting to photograph that), or my son wanting to run around the backyard with me (and me wanting the same).”

Davina + Daniel

Yves Schepers

“Whether it’s a relationship with your parents, your partner, your best friend or anybody else that crosses your path, the thing I value most in a relationship is that it feeds me with energy by the moments and experiences shared instead of wasting energy on arguments, fights, being envious or discontent. I believe that an important aspect in building such a relationship is honesty, and making sure it’s built in a secure environment. This environment ensures each side of the relationship can grow, have the freedom to develop themselves as an individual but also as a whole without having to fear the other person’s judgment or aggression.The picture I selected is from one of my recent shoots. It may not be the best or the most epic but the scene shows the bubble that these lovers are in at that moment. It represents their own secure environment that they created and where they share their love.”

Yves Schepers Photography

ARIEL NOVAK

“Actually, four things come to mind. All four can only exist together. Take one away and you will lose the rest. Honesty, trust, respect and communication.”

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KIND WORDS

"To have an eye for that, read the scene, the people (the important ones especially), and frame it in a way that brings a grown man to well up with tears long after the day is over is something I never considered a possibility" - Dave Watson (Groom)